Gold for Offiler and Cartwright at European Rowing Junior Championships
Great Britain win first ever European Rowing Junior Championships in Gravelines, Northern France
Jake Offiler (Globe RC) and James Cartwright (Gloucester RC) delivered Great Britain’s first ever European Rowing Junior Championships medal in style, dominating their double sculls event across the weekend and rowing away with a fantastic gold medal.
A record 34 nations competed at the eighth edition of the regatta, this year held in Gravelines, Northern France. Great Britain sent four crews, with the event clashing with the National Schools Regatta.
Cartwright, a rower on the World Class Start talent ID programme at Hartpury College, and Offiler only had three training sessions together before racing in Gravelines. They stormed to wins in their heat and semi-final before edging a close final from Italy and Belarus, with just half a second separating the medal places.
Laurence Joss (Tideway Scullers School) produced some excellent rows to make the B final in the men’s single scull, but saved his best performance for last – winning the B final by two lengths.
The two women’s sculling crews also made the B finals. Phoebe Campbell (Thames Tradesmen) crossed the line fourth in her final, while Rhiannon Morgan (Gloucester RC) and Issy Lack (Tideway Scullers School) finished fifth in their race.
GB Rowing Team Lead Coach for Juniors, Ade Roberts, said: “I am delighted with the JM2x performance, winning a tight finish to earn GB’s first medal at a European Rowing Junior Championships. All the Juniors learned a great deal about competing at this level which made this a very productive weekend for Great Britain.”
Results
Men’s single scull B final
1. Great Britain (Laurence Joss), 7:11.09
2. Bulgaria, 7:14.28
3. Italy, 7:14.41
Men’s double scull A final
1. Great Britain (Jake Offiler & James Cartwright), 6:50.95
2. Italy, 6:51.23
3. Belarus, 6:51.46
Women’s single scull B final
1. Netherlands, 7:52.39
2. Sweden, 7:56.86
3. Estonia, 8:01.57
4. Great Britain (Phoebe Campbell), 8:11.42
Women’s double scull B final
1. Romania, 7:25.49
2. Denmark, 7:25.98
3. Poland, 7:28.75
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5. Great Britain (Rhiannon Morgan & Issy Lack), 7:35.45
